Cooling-plate for nodulizing-kilns.



R. V. McKAY.

COOLING PLATE FoR NODULIZING KILNS.

APPLICATIUN FILED AUG.30. 1915.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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` R. v. MCKAY. COOLING PLATE FOR NODULiZING KILNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30,1915.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RICHARD V. IVICKAY, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

COOLING-PLATE FOR NODULIZING-KILNS.

Ill 222,646.

Application filed August 30, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD V. MGKAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State ofPennsylvania, United States of America, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cooling- Plates for Nodulizing-Kilns; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to nodulizing kilns, and has for its object theremoval from such kilns of the accretions that form near their dischargeends in a ring.

It is well known that in nodulizing kilns there is formed, in the kiln,at the scorifying or fusing zone a ring of refractory material, whichgradually increases in thickness and prejudicially affects the properoperation of the kiln.

Various devices have been used fo'r removing these rings, such as acooling section placed in the kiln walls at one or more points of thecircumference of the kiln, so as to chill the ring of accretions andcause it to crack and fall ofi. The explosive force of steam has alsobeen utilized for this purpose, by causing water to be supplied atpoints on the interior surface of the lining of the kiln and betweensaid lining and ring of accretions, thereby generating steam between thelining and the ring of accretions, and causing said ring to be blownasunder.

As is well known, nodulizing kilns are long, cumbersome inclinedfurnaces mounted on rollers, the structure being such that the kiln doesnot rotate on a true axis, and when supplying water for the purposesabove stated it was necessary to provide a stationary pipe at the centerof one end of the kiln, so that as the kiln rotated there would becontinuous communication between the supply pipe and the watercirculating system rotating with the kiln and about such pipe as center.The objection to this central supply is that one end of the kiln,usually the delivery end, is obstructed by such a central water pipe.and its connectionsl across the end of the kiln, so that themanipulation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. it?, i917. Serial No. 48,104.

the charge by implements is rendered troublesome or impossible. Anotherobjection is that it is practically impossible to ma te a water-tightjoint between the stationary supply pipe and the radial pipe supplyingwater to the cooling or exploding system, by reason of the non-axialrotation of the kiln.

These difficulties have led me to experiment with other means and modesof cooling the kiln at one or more points, so as to crack the ringsformed in the furnace, and thereby break the arch and allow them to falldown into the kiln.

I have discovered that steam will have a suflicien't and proper coolingaction to cause this breakage or cracking of the rings; and T havedevised means for eiiecting this cooling action without the use of acentral end supply pipe and radial feed pipe. The method of operation isthat at each rotation of the kiln a quantity of water is taken up orcollected by suitable devices on the exterior of the kiln and caused topass into cooling sections or plates inserted in the kiln walls, andpreferably, but not necessarily, made removable and exchangeable fromthe outside of the kiln, thus enabling a very rapid exchange of a newsection or plate for one that has burned out, without requiring theremoval and replacing of the kiln lining around the plate. rThis wateris converted into steam that cools a segment of the accretion ringsufficiently to crack it, there being provided means for the continuousescape of steam from the plate or plates.

Referring to the drawings, in which lik parts are similarly designatedlFigure l is a side elevation of the discharge end of a nodulizing kiln,showing my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the cooling element or plate.

Fig. 4L- is a longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the dipper or bucket.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of cooling plate arranged to beremoved from the exterior of the kiln without disturbing the kilnlining.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a kiln showing the bucket or dipper arrangednear the upper or inlet end.

Fig. 8 is an end view, partly in section,

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showing the arrangement of the dipper and tank.

T he furnace or kiln shell 1 is provided at a suitable point along itslength with rails or rings 2 supported by rollers 3 held in bearings 4Lon a suitable foundation 5, as is customary with nodulizing furnaces orkilns.

Inserted in the shell 1 at a point in the cir cumference thereof, andpreferably at the zone where the ring is prone to form, I place one ormore hollow cooling sections arranged longitudinally of the kiln.

These sections or plates are constructed as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and el,and may be made of cast iron, but preferably of pressed steel, rivetedand welded together to make them water and steam tight.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, such a hollow cooling section consists oftwo parts, a body portion 7, riveted and welded to a curved plate 8provided with rivet or bolt holes 9, by means of which the plate issecured to the furnace shell.

Each plate has two pipe nipples 10, one of which serves as an inlet andthe other as an outlet. And secured to the furnace shell is a dipper orbucket 11, across the top of which is a yoke 12Yprovided with a screw13. Beneath the yoke, and between it and the upper edge of the bucket isan adjustable lid or top 1% held against a packing 15 in the upper edgeof the bucket by means of the screw 13; whereby the opening 16, Fig. 8,may be adjusted, in order to take up more or less water during therotation of the kiln. Any other suitable construction of adjustable lidmay be used.

. In the path of rotation of the dipper or bucket 11 and beneath thekiln, is a water tank 25 into which the bucket dips as it rotates withthe kiln, and thus dips up a volume of water controlled by the size ofopening 16 in its top, Fig. 8. The tank 25 is provided with a waterinlet 26 and a water outlet near its top, thereby increasing themaintenance of the level of the water in the tank.

A pipe 17 leads from the bottom of the bucket to the lower' inlet end ofa section or plate 6, the other end of which is connected by pipe 17 tothe next adjacent section or plate 6, if a number of such be used, thelast one of the series being provided with a steam blow-off pipe 18controlled by a suitable hand valve 19. In said pipe 17 connecting thebucket or dipper 11 and the first cooler section 6, I provide anon-return valve 20, of any suitable construction, so that when steam isformed in the coolers, the back pressure will close this valve andprevent the water in the bucket or dipper 11 from being blown out.

In thernodified form of construction of plate shown in Fig. 6, I providea frame 21 arranged to be secured to the shell 1 of thel bolts 24 toremove a worn out plate and in# sert another without destroying thelining Y of the kiln.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the dipper Vor bucket 11 arranged at the upperend of the kiln and connected by pipe 17 u to the lowermost cooler 6,thereby providing a slightly greater head of water at the entrance endof the lowermost cooler. In said Fig. 7, in

order to prevent steam from the first plate 6 from entering the watersupply pipe 17a, I may place the non-return valve near the entrance tosaid plate, or use an additional nonreturn valve, as indicated at 28.

As many of these sections or plates may be connected together as isfound desirable or may be required by the particular siZe of the kilnused.

The operation is as follows As the kiln rotates, usually in acounterclockwise direction, the bucket or dipper 11 dips into the tank25, in which the water is kept at a fixed level by reason of thelocation of the outlet pipe 27 or otherwise. The bucket 11 takes up,through the opening 16 (Fig. 8,) in the top of the bucket and on theside facing the kiln, a quantity of water controlled by the size of thisopening. This water flows through the check valve Q0, pipe 17, to theplate or plates 6. As the kiln rotates this water comes into contactwith the hot face of the plate or plates adjacent the accretions and isconverted into steam.

I'Vhen the head of water on the first coolerv exceeds the back pressureof the steam in the system of plates check valve 20 opens and allows thewater from the bucket 11 to flow into the plate. The steam pressure setup in the plates is suflicient to cause the check valve 20 in the supplypipe to close, thereby causing the steam to pass through the entiresystem of coolers and escape through the discharge pipe 18 into theatmosphere.

On the succeeding revolution of the kiln the amount of water enteringthe plate or plates depends upon the percentage of the evaporation Aofthe water received during the preceding revolution. If the evaporationhas been practically completed by the time the plates'return to theirreceiving position, the entire charge of water from the bucket 11 willpass through the check valve 20 into the plates. If the evaporation hasnot been completed when the coolers reach theirreceiving position, onlya portion of the water from the bucket 11 will be admitted to the firstplate 6, and the balance will be discharged through the opening 16 whenthe bucket 11 passes the uppermost point in its course.

In other words, the amount of water entering the plate from the bucketis automatically controlled by the steam pressure in the system. Theamount of water taken up by the bucket 11 is regulated by adjusting thecover 14 so as to increase or diminish the size of the inlet opening 16.The rate of discharge of the bucket is naturally dependent upon the rateof discharge of the steam from the system, and this can be regulated bymeans of a valve 19.

It will therefore be seen that the steam is practically all generated inthe first or lowermost plate 6, and is conducted from this plate tothose connected to it, and finally passes into the atmosphere, thusproducing a cooling e'ect suiiicient to crack the accretion ring andcause it to fall from the lining.

l claim 1. The combination and a body of water bucket secured to thekiln arranged to pass through said body of water and dip up a quantitythereof during a rotation of the kiln, a hollow cooling section or plateon the kiln, means to supply water from said bucket to said section anda steam exit in the Section.

2. The combination with a rotating kiln below the same, of a with arotating kiln and a body of water below the same; of a bucket secured tothe kiln and arranged to pass through said body of water and dip up aquantity thereof during a rotation, a hollow cooling section on thekiln, means to supply water from said bucket to said section, a steamexit in said section and means to prevent steam from passing to thebucket.

3. The combination with a rotating kiln and a body of water below thesame; of a bucket secured to the kiln and arranged to pass through saidbody of water and dip up a quantity thereof during a rotation, a hollowcooling section on the kiln, means to supply water from said bucket tosaid section, a steam exit in said section, means to prevent steam frompassing to the bucket and means to regulate the passage of steam fromsaid section.

4l. In a.rotary kiln, the combination with the kiln shell having anopening therein; of a frame secured to said shell within the opening,and a removable cooling section mounted in the frame and having inletand exhaust connections.

5. The combination with a rotary kiln, of a frame secured in the wallthereof and having two flanges, one of which is secured to the kiln, aremovable cooling section mounted in the frame and having flangescoperating with the other flange of said frame, means to detachablyconnect said other ange and the section flange, and inlet and outletmeans for said section.

6. The combination with a rotary kiln and a body of water beneath thekiln; of means to maintain a constant level of said body of water, meanson the kiln and rotating therewith to dip up a quantity of water fromsaid body of water, a hollow cooling section in the wall of the kiln andconnected to said dipping means and steam outlet means for said section.

7. The combination with an inclined rotating kiln and a body of waterbeneath the same near its upper end, means on the kiln to dip up avolume of water from said body as the kiln rotates, a cooling section inthe kiln walls near the lower end, a pipe connecting said dipping meanswith the lower end vof said section and a steam exit for said sectionnear its upper end.

8. The combination with an inclined rotating kiln and a body of waterbeneath the same near its upper end, means on the kiln to dip up avolume of water from said body as the kiln rotates, a cooling section inthe kiln walls near the lower end, a pipe connecting said dipping meanswith the lower end of said section, a non-return valve in said pipe, anda steam exit for said section near its upper end.

9. The combination with a rotating kiln; of a hollow cooling section orplate thereon provided with water-inlet means and means to dischargesteam, and means to automatically and periodically supply water to saidinlet means.

l0. The combination with a rotatable kiln; of a hollow cooling sectionor plate thereon provided with water inlet means and suitable outletmeans on the kiln for delivering to said inlet means a quantity of waterat each rotation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R101-IARD V. MCKAY.

Witnesses:

W. E. BONDMAN, CHAs. R. HoLToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. C.

